Missile launching system



Oct. 3, 1961 c. A. JOHNSTONE' 3,002,428

MISSILE LAUNCHING SYSTEM Original Filed Sept. 29, 1950 4 Sheets-She l I IIlIaIlIIIIIIIllll1IllII1IIIIll1IIIIIIIIlIIlllIlllllll/IIIIIIIIA llI!)7i27IiIIIIIIII111IIIIIIIIii/I?YIIIl/lallllllllllllllI11114 0HARLE$ A. JOHNS TONE ATTORNEYS Oct. 3, 1961 c. A. JOHNSTONE MISSILE LAUNCHING SYSTEM i Imuuu-mumum h V IL I; bllllim Original iled Sept. 29, 1950 mmm m Oct. 3, 1961 c. A. JCHNSTONE MISSILE LAUNCHING SYSTEM Original Filed Sept. 29, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mimi m3 5 TltlilrouilllllnlIIaIIolllillllalltlll1lllaili11114:!lnllililriinlnlllIt III!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIImIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 1 I!!!.pl!!!IIIIIIIIIII'I'IIIIIIIII INVENTOR CHARLES A. JOH/VST ONE Oct. 3, 1961 c. A. JOHNSTONE 3,00

MISSILE LAUNCHING SYSTEM Original Filed Sept. 29, 1950 4 Sheetsshee't 4 FIG. 7

I NVENTOR CHARLES-A. JOHNSTO/VE 1&4 (9% Q/XWW AT-TORNEYS ,6 ,7. MISSILE LAUNCHENG SYSTEM Charles A. Johnstone, 3713 N. Linwood, Indianapolis, Ind.

Original application Sept. 29, 1950, Ser. No. 187,552, now Patent No. 2,984,157, dated May 16, 1961. Divided and this application June 39, 1954, Ser. No. M0570 8 Claims. (Cl. 89-17) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) other than a launching of firing barrel or the like. in

addition, the present system is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with larger missiles of the type frequently employing a separatable booster charge for launching; hence, in a general sense this system may be considered as particularly adaptable to semifixed ammunition, and provides, in this respect, for the assembly of the missile components to an integral missile prior to launching. o o

This application is a division of application Serial No. 187,652, for Missile Launching Systems, filed September 29, 1959, now U.S. Patent No. 2,984,157,.in the name of Charles A. lohnstone. l V

In the launching of rocket or jet powered missiles or the like, the initial launching blast or firing force, which is frequently supplied by a rocket booster charge or the like in the case of jet powered missiles, results in the production of a considerable quantity of high temperature and noxious gases, which for the protection of the launching and associated equipment and operating personnel must be deflected away from the apparatus and personnel 'bymeans of a blast deflector or the like. ,Blast deflectors,

or" suflicient capacity and design as to eliectively shield the area surrounding the launcher from the large quantities of heat and gas liberated by the launching charges of such missiles, greatly encumber the launching mechanism and greatly increases the stresses and strains imposed thereon a result of the impingement of the exhaust blast gases against the deflectors. In addition 'to the above-mentioned disadvantages resulting from the use of blast deflectors, the necessity for providing suficiently efiective blast destructure thereof. tried 1 it is therefore, generally, the purpose of the present invention to provide a missile launching system which enables the launching of rocket or jet or similarly powered missiles Without necessitating the use of blast [clefiectors. in its more general aspects, thepresent invention contemplates thepreparationand setting of a guided or homing missile, or missile otherwise directed in its course by remote control means or by means efiectiveto control the course of the missile after launching, the loading of a plurality of such missiles in a magazine for storage prior to firing, the feeding of the missiles con- .tained in the magazine to a substantially fixed launching fiectors results in numerous problems in the design and position, and the launching of the missiles in .a substantially fixed direction without necessitating the use of cumbersome blast deflectors.

in accordance with the present invention, in order to avoid the necessity of blast deflectors the missiles :are

launched from a predetermined and substantially fixed position regardless ei theeireenonnndrrange trifireiergelf I which position is so chosen as to direct the initial firing exhaust blast of the missile in a direction free of personnel and apparatus. Once launched from the established launching position and in the established direction, the course of the missile is directed or guided by such remote control means as a radar guiding beam in cooperation with suitable radar responsive equipment contained in the missile, or by a homing device contained Within the missile, or by preset gyro compass means, or any other suitable cours'e control means which operates to direct the course of the missile into a desired direction and t a desired range substantially independent of the in tial direction imparted to the missile when launched.

it is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a system for launching missiles powered by reel;- et, jet or similar means without necessitating the use of "a blast deflector.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a missile launching system having a missile storage magazine and feed therefor, operating to position the missiles loaded in the magazine into a substantially fixed launching position, for which the missiles are launched.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a missile launching system designed to eliminate the necessity of providing cumbersome blast deflectors, wherein the missiles are launched from a substantially fixed position and the exhaust blast thereof is directed over the side of and away from the vehicle carrying the present system. 7

' from said position without necessitating the use of a blast deifiector for the booster or propellant charge exhaust.

Cther objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those slc'l-led in the art from a copsideration of the following detailed description thereof, illustrating its application to naval war ships and made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like or corresponding parts and wherein: V 7

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the naval war ship employing the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the war ship shown in FIG. 1; V o

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the missile launching system employed by the war ship or" "FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 6 illustrating the missile shackling means of the feeding mechanism;

1G. 6 is partial sectional view of the missile shackling means, taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a vertical section of the missile launching system shown in FIG. 3 taken substantially along the line 77 thereof; and

FIG. 8 is a vertical section of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 taken substantially along the line s=; ;s thereof. V

The present invention as illustrated herein provides for substantially vertical launching of the missiles rather than the substantially horizontal launching thereof as claimed in application Serial No. 187,652, now U.'S.' Patent No. 2,984,157, aforementioned. FIGS. '1 and 2 show a naval war ship 10! adapted to employ the present invention and illustrate the positioning of the launching system housings 101, 102, 103 and 194 thereon. i. Theseihofismgs comprise two portions, the missile assem- V 4 is a vertical cross section of the syste rn shown in'FiG. irtalren substantially'alongtheline 4-4 thereof;

'they have been launched.

In order to facilitate a vertical loading of missiles in the magazine 131) to provide for vertical launching there- 3 bly portion 1143, where the bird components 150 and booster charge components 151 are assembled to form a unitary missile 152, and the magazine portion 131 in which the assembled missiles are loaded upon the magazine feeding chains 131 and 132, designed to feed the rockets thus loaded in the magazine one by one into the fixed missile launching position as indicated by the missile 152a located between the top and bottom missile launching openings 139a and 139, respectively. The assembly and magazine portions of these housings may be separat ed by suitable partition walls 210 having missile loading doorways 211 there-through. The present invention provides for a substantially fixed launching position of missiles, and contemplates the employment of such missiles as are guided or directed in their course of flight after of, the assembling and loading portion 111 of each launching system housing contains two'booster'hoists 113 and 113a and two pair ofbird component hoists 111 and 111a, and 112 and 112a, each pair .of said bird component hoists cooperating with one of the booster hoists to ,alternately elevate a bird component into alignment with an elevated booster charge component in. the same sequence as described for the firstembodiment, and in ad dition means are provided on the booster component hoist to unite and assemble the two missile components, to'pivot the assembled missile into a vertical position, and to load the same upon the magazine feeding chains 131 and 132 in a vertically disposed position.

Referring particularly to FIG. 4, a booster componen hoist table 113 has a booster component 151 positioned on the component supporting and clampingarbors 114 and is then elevated into the missile assembling position there shown.

Also, one of the bird component hoists 111a has a bird component 150 positioned and prepared on its components supporting arbors 116, and this bird component is ,angularly elevated by means of the elevating pistons 117 into axial alignment with the elevated booster charge com ponent 151. The booster charge hoist table 113 has two sets of gripping fingers 119 which engage the elevated bird component 151) when the same has been placed in alignment with the booster charge component 151, whereupon the elevating pistons 117 and their attached component supporting arbors 116 are retracted to lower level position. The two sets of gripping fingers 119 are then caused to radially traverse the booster charge hoist table 113 to assemble the two components 150 and 151 into a unitary missile 152. Upon the assembly of a missile, the power actuated gear 120 drives the gearsegment 121 carrying the booster charge arbor supporting struts 122 and 123 ,to rotate the assembled missile into a vertical position,

and thus swing the missile over from the assembly and loading portion 110 of the systems housings into the magazine portion 130, thereby loading the same in vertical position on the magazine feeding chains 131 and a 132; whereupon, the clamping arbors 114 release the missile 151 and are returned to the missile assembling position shown in FIG. 2. The missile charge hoist is then lowered, another booster charge 151 is clamped in the booster charge arbors 114, and the booster charge is then elevated into assembling position in readiness for assembly with another bird component as aligned therewith by the other of the cooperating bird component hoists.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bird gripping fingers 119 and their struts 119a are operated from suitable means provided in the booster hoist table 113 to travel a substantially rectangular path in the vertical plane. When the booster charge is elevated and during elevation of the bird component, the fingers 119 are in their lower left position of travel, as indicated by the partially solid line representation, to permit clearance thereof by the bird. When the bird has been fully hoisted, the fingers 119 are moved to the lower right extent of their travel and then upwardly to the upper right extent of their travel, thus engaging the bird with one set of fingers behind each bird hoist arbor. The bird hoist is then retracted and fingers 119 are moved to the left extent of their travel to assemble the bird and booster components. of the struts 122 in providing the assembled missiles lifts the bird free from the fingers 119, and the fingers are then lowered to the lower left extent of their travel in readiness for the next cycle of operation.

The assembled missiles loaded on the magazine feeding chains 131 and 132 may be shackled thereto in any convenient desired manner. One possible method of shackling the missiles thereto comprises the affixing eyes 133 (FIG. '5) to each of the chains 131 and 132, one on each chain at each missile loading position, and providing each booster'charge component 151 with a corresponding pair of projecting hooks 134, each designed to enter its corresponding eye 133 as the missile is positioned in the magazine 1349., The sprockets 135, 13511, 135b and 135a carry and drive the endless chains 131 and 132, thus enabling the missiles loaded in the magazine 130 to be successively fed one by one into the launching position as occupied'by the missile 152a, from which "launched in an upward direction, they automatically free themselves from the shackling eyes 133 on the chains 131 and 132., Thus, if the shackling eyes 133 on the upper chain 131 are formed to extend from this chain a lesser distance than the shackling eyes 133 on the lower chain 132, and if correspondingly, the forward shackling of 134 on the booster charge component casing is formed to extend from the casing a greater distance than the rear shackling of 134 thereon, launching of the rocket from the magazine will be had without any interference from the shackling means. The launching position in the magazine portion 130 is located over the side of the ship and further is so positioned to direct the exhaust blast of the propellant fuel of the missile over the side of the ship in a direction free from personnel and apparatus, this being made feasible by providing for a substantially fixed position for and direction of launching, thus eliminating the necessity of providing cumbersome exhaust blast deflectors.

Since in the present invention the exhaust end of the -missile passes through the missile magazine, it is desirable to substantially circumscribe the launching position with blast shielding doors 137 and 136 to protect the remaining missiles in the magazine from direct exposure to the-exhaust. blast of the fired missiles as they'pass up through the magazine and out through the launching opening 139a in the top of the magazine housing. These doors 137 and 136 are appropriately formed to avoid interference with the feeding chains 131 and 132,

and are preferably verticallymounted on the magazine housing by means of spring hinges or the like so as to yield to the advancing missiles, door 137 yielding into the missile launching area in response to a missile being advanced therein and springing back to shielding position after the missile has entered into the launching position, door 136 yielding outwardly from the launchingarea -upon the advance of a dud missile which has been positioned in the launching area and failed to fire, and spring back into shielding position after the dud missile has cleared it and before the next missile has reached the launching position. a ,,Since the present inventionis designed to launch mis- The action 7 aoeaase siles from an established and substantially fixed pbsition and in an established direction, it contemplates the employment of missiles which may be guided in flight after being launched, and the same or a similar type "of missile and method of guiding may be employed in the present system.

Thus, the present invention contemplates the assembly of a missile by the union of a bird component with a booster charge component, the launching of missiles so assembled in the magazine, the controlled feeding of "missiles so loaded into an established and substantially fixed launching position, launching of missiles so fed into the launching position in an established direction, and the controlling of the course of the missile after being launched. The provision of a substantially fixed and established launching position and direction for missiles propelled by rocket, jet, or similar means enables'this position to be so chosen as to provide an innocuous di= rection of exhaust blast as the missiles take-off, thereby eliminating the necessity of providing cumbersome exhaust blast deflectors and eliminating the structural and mechanical problems involved in providing them.

Also, the provisions of the present invention enable a substantially complete enclosure of the missile magazine, thereby protecting the missiles from weathercondition and exposure.

Although herein described in its application to the use of a compound bird and booster missile, it is apparent that the teachings of the present invention are equally applicable to single element missiles, as for example, that itype of missile usually classified as a rockettand further, it is apparent that the present invention is applicable to aerial missiles, water missiles, such as torpedoes, and combined aerial and water missiles, such as those which are delivered to a target area by air and then continue their attack upon the target by water in torpedo fashion.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. A missile launching system carried by a vehicle and comprising a continuously moving, constant-speed feeding means of the endless conveyor type disposed in a substantially normal relation to assembled missiles presented to the feeding means at a loading position, means including a rotatable hoist having a pair of clamping devices releasably attached to the assembled missiles for moving and presenting the missiles to the feeding means in said loading position, means for releasably securing the misthereon successively into a launching position outboard of the vehicle and in spaced relationship with said launching port and blast port, each securing means per se op; eratiug as a missile launcher when in launching position, thereby providing for the loading of missiles and the launching thereof from a fixed position and in a fixed orientation directly from said missile feeding means.

3. A missile launching system carried by a vehicle comprising a missile chamber, a missile feeding means housed by said chamber, said chamber defining a blast port and a launching port respectively underlying and overlying said feeding means in substantially vertical registration with one another and located laterally outboard of the vehicle at the launching position, a plurality of means carried in spaced relationship with one another by said feeding means for removably securing missiles to said feeding means, means for driving said missile feeding means to bring missiles loaded thereon successively into launching position outboard of the vehicle and in spaced relationship with said launching port and blast port, and means for loading missiles onto said missile feeding means as loaded missiles are advanced toward the launching position, said securing means per'se operating as a missile launcher when each missile has been brought into siles to said feeding means, a housing partially enclosing the system and defining a blast port and'a launching port respectively underlying and overlying said feeding means in substantially vertical registration with one another and located laterally outboard of the vehicle at the launching position, whereby missiles are launched through the launching port successively upon arrival at the launching position. i

2. A missile launching system for launching missiles of the two component type, said system being carried by a vehicle and comprising a missile storage chamber, a missile feeding means housed by said missile storage chamber, said storage chamber defining a blast port and a launching port respectively underlying and overlying said feeding means in substantially vertical registration with one another and located laterally outboard of the vehicle at the launching position, means for moving missile components together into assembled position and further moving them in the same continuous motion onto said feeding means in said storage chamber, a plurality of means carried in spaced relationship relative to one another by said feeding means for detachably securing the missiles as the latter are transferred, and means for driving said missile feeding means to bring missiles loaded comprising a continuously movable,- constant-speed mis sile feeding means of the endless conveyor type including a pair of equal length endless belts vertically spaced relative to one another and a plurality of groups of missile carrying means secured thereto, each missile carrying means in each of said groups being vertically spaced relative to another missile carrying means in that group, said groups of carrying means being longitudinally spaced along the length of the feeding means, means including a rotatable hoist having clamping devices carried thereby for releasably clamping and moving missiles in successive order into engagement with said groups of missile carrying means, a housing partially enclosing said feeding means and defining a launching port and a blast port located laterally outboard of the vehicle and vertically spaced relative to one another, and said feeding means being positioned to successively align the missiles carried thereby with the launching and blast ports for successively launching of the missiles outboard of the vehicle.

5. A missile launcher comprising a housing having a missile launching port and a blast port vertically disposed 7 relative to the launching port, a missile feeding means Within said housing, said missile feeding means including a pairof vertically spaced, horizontally disposed endless conveyors, means for removably securing missiles to said conveyors and in such a manner that the missiles are vertically disposed, means including a rotatable hoist having clamping devices carried thereby for releasably clamping and moving a missile an amount sufficient to cause the missiles to be vertically disposed and attached to said conveyors by said removable securing means, means fordriving said feeding means to bring missiles loaded thereon into a launching position in registry with said launclr'ng and blast ports, and means for releasing missiles brought into said launching position from said feeding means thereby enabling the launching of missiles directly from a missile feeding means.

6. A missile launching system for missiles having a main body component and an attachable after booster component comprising, hoist means including a gripping device in engagement with the main body for sequentially and continuously longitudinaily moving the main body ponent for moving the connected missile to a vertical loading position, feeding means disposed in a substantially normal relation to said vertically disposed connected missile for moving the missile from its vertical loading positiOn to a vertical launching position, mateable releasable missile support means disposed on said feeding means and on said missile, said feeding means being disposed adjacent said hoist means and in alignment therewith to permit engagement of the releasable missile support means when the missile is moved to its vertical loading position.

7. A missile launching system for missiles having a main body component and an attachable after booster component, said launching system being carried by a vehicleand comprising hoist means for sequentially and continuously longitudinally moving the components into horizontal longitudinal connection and elevating the connected missile to a vertical loading position, feeding means disposed in a substantially normal relation to said vertically disposed connected missile for moving the mis- T'sile from its vertical loading position to a vertical launching position, mateable releasable missile support means disposed on said feeding means and on said missile, said feeding means being disposed adjacent said hoist means and in alignment therewith to permit engagement of the releasable missile support means when the missile is moved to'its vertical launching position, said system being enclosed by a housing defining a blast port and a launching port 'respectivelyunderlying and overlying said feed- .ing means in substantially vertical registration with one another and located laterally outboard of said vehicle at the launching position, whereby missiles are launched fthrough the launching port successively upon arrival at the launching position.

8. A missile launching system carried by a vehicle com? prising, a housing enclosing said system, said housing including an inboard compartment and an outboard compartment, said outboard compartment extending later.- ally outboard of the vehicle and defining a blast port and a launching port in spaced vertical relationship, carrier means for moving missiles from a horizonta ly disposed position in the inboard compartment to a vertical launching position in alignment with said ports in the outboard compartment, said carrier means including missile feeding means disposed within the outboard compartment for moving vertically positioned missiles into vertical launching position between said ports, and hoist means disposed within the inboard compartment adjacent and in alignment with the feeding means for moving horizontally disposed missiles to a vertical position on the feeding means whereby the missile may be advancedb the feeding means into launching position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 941,662 Smith Nov. 30, 1909 2,428,761 Richards Oct. 7, 1947 2,546,823 Holloway Mar. 27, 1951 2,585,030 Nosker Feb. 12, 1952, 2,598,001 Kunz May 27, 1952 2,630,741 Robert et al. Mar. 10, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 171,502 Germany June 5, 1906 311,664 ,Italy Oct. 7, 1933 632,599 Great Britain Nov. 28, 1949 692,140 Great Britain May 27, 1953 

